Bipolar link found to older fathers

Children born to older fathers face a greater chance of developing bipolar disorder, according to one of the largest studies linking mental illness with advanced paternal age.

Researchers analysed Swedish national registry data from more than 80,000 people, including 13,428 with bipolar disorder, who were born between 1932 and 1991.

The risks started increasing around age 40 but were strongest among those 55 and older. Children born to these fathers were 37 per cent more likely to develop bipolar disorder than those born to men in their 20s.